SLOW COOKER BEAN STEW
- Richard Rodriguez
- Nov 17
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 19
Total Time 4 hours - Serves 4-5
This is hearty, wholesome comfort food at its best. Simple ingredients, big flavour, and the slow cooker doing all the heavy lifting. Packed with beans, lentils, veg and smoky pancetta, it’s the kind of stew you can throw together in minutes and leave to bubble away until rich and delicious.
If you want to make it vegetarian, just swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock and leave out the bacon. It’s one of those recipes that’s easy to adapt based on what you’ve got in the cupboards.
Ingredients
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
A few sprigs fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stick celery, diced
1 small butternut squash, seeds removed + diced
300g smoked diced bacon or pancetta
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g tin cannellini beans
400g tin borlotti beans
400g tin green lentils
1 chicken stock pot
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
½ tbsp garlic granules
Fresh parsley, chopped (to serve)
Method
If your slow cooker pot is hob-safe, place it on the hob. Otherwise, use a separate pan.
Heat a splash of olive oil, then add the diced bacon or pancetta along with the rosemary and thyme. Cook on a medium heat until the bacon is golden and starts to crisp.
If using a separate pan, transfer the bacon mixture to your slow cooker. Add the onion, carrot, celery and butternut squash.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes, cannellini beans, borlotti beans and green lentils. Fill one of the empty tins with water and add that in.
Add the chicken stock pot, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin and garlic granules. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the lid on and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.
Taste and adjust seasoning if need be. Stir through some freshly chopped parsley, ladle into bowls and enjoy.
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